I woke up this morning and my mind could not grasp the fact that today was my last day in Spain. Whether or not I wanted to believe it though, I had to realize that it was. With that realization (which really didn't set in until today) I decided to take full advantage of the day. I met up with friends at the Mercado Central and got breakfast and coffee, then wandered around the city, at lunch at home, and went back out. The second outing entailed climbing the bell tower of the Cathedral, drinking horchata, seeing the Christmas lights, getting coffee with my language partner, buying Alice in Wonderland in Spanish (plane reading!), and getting one last pan de queso...and a lot of photos, of course.
Everything from last night through today has been the perfect end to the semester. Hanging out with the program and exploring the city was a calm end to my four months here--exactly what the doctor ordered after finals. Also, I was told I speak good Spanish and have a Cuban or other Latin American accent, and the waiter at Pan de Queso said "merci beaucoup" to me (I guess he thought I was French? I'll take it). Since it is the end of the semester I decided I should revisit some of the stories I forgot to tell. So here is the very brief version of it all (really, I could write a lot more).... I loved France. Absolutely, completely, whole-heartedly loved it. Paris was beyond my expectations. Other than having two pick-pockets in the course of a few hours it was a great experience (and they gave what they stole back, so it wasn't disastrous). The people were friendly (no, I'm not kidding, they really were friendly), I got asked for directions multiple times (this has happened everywhere I've been...Italy, France, and Germany). Also, the chocolate festival (with many many many testers and a chocolate fashion show) was extremely entertaining. Aix-en-Provence was also beautiful in a completely different way. Plus I got to see two of my best friends. So that weekend was a really really good one. Frankfurt and Luxembourg. Where to start? I've wanted to go to Luxembourg for years. I'm so glad I did. It was beautiful (and snowy). Go. Just take my word for it. Oh, and they have a GREAT history museum. Frankfurt was also amazing. Couchsurfing is a must. If you are studying abroad I highly recommend it. Oh and the Christmas markets. They are the best. Go for Christmas, the whole atmosphere is so cheery and festive. But be prepared to drop a fair amount of money--between cute souvenirs and gluhwein you will spend a lot. Lastly, while packing I found a notebook I wrote a couple notes in while I was in Italy. I was sitting by myself at dinner, and decided to write a bit so I didn't look so strange sitting there solo. Reading over them was so fun. I had forgotten some of the details, and it was also interesting to see what I was thinking in the moment, rather than what I remembered looking back on it. There were details from that dinner that had completely escaped my memory. With that, I bid Europe farewell...for now. I'll be back, without a doubt. P.S. Photos are all up (except for the ones I've taken these past two days, but those won't be up until I get home). Also, there is a little video from Paris. Happy Holidays!
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Claire AngelineI am traveling the world from October 2017-October 2018, and the plan is to visit all seven continents. I'm a vegetarian foodie, a baker, a dance enthusiast, a nonprofit co-founder, and a huge travel addict. When I'm not traveling I'm putting my MPH to good use and doing public health research. Archives
September 2016
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